Bringing Her In
by MrMsMingus
Summary: How I imagine Joan and Arthurs conversation went when they decided to bring Annie in early. Set pre-101. Also, Please review, constructive criticism is so welcome. I have been on a roll the past 2 days with Joan and Arthur stories. They are such an intriguing couple. Just Joan and Arthur and implied Annie. I do not own these characters.


Face buried in the latest intel, Joan didn't even look up as she entered her office and shut the door. Well, slammed it. The anger inside of her had a funny way of manifesting itself sometimes. She strode over to her desk and dropped the file onto the pile.

"Joan"

She gasped and looked up to see her husband standing in the far corner of her office. She hated the way he could do that. Arthur Campbell was not only her husband but also her boss, the DCS, and he was the only person in the world who could sneak up on her. When they met she found it attractive, but lately it was just plain obnoxious. Joan composed herself, let out an exasperated sigh whilst rolling her eyes. She sat down behind her desk and crossed her arms resting her elbows on the desk in front of her.

"Arthur" she sneered at him.

He stepped out of the shadows and sat in a chair across from her desk.

"I'm here to read you in on a new recruit I am inserting into your division."

Joan had to bite her tongue to not lash out at him. How dare he make a plan to insert someone in her division without even asking her. Now he was telling her. She just glared at him.

Joan set her jaw and responded harshly, "Okay. Read me in"

Not breaking the intense eye contact they held Arthur started,

"We have a recruit on our radar named, Annie Walker. She is currently at the farm and over half way through her training. Initially she was recruited because of her language skills but, we realized after her vetting interview that we can use her as an "in" to one of our most dangerous targets."

"And who would that be?" Joan inquired

Tossing a file onto her desk Arthur stood and said, "Ben Mercer".

Joan gave him that look that said he better not be messing with her, and uncrossed her arms to open the file.

Arthur continued, "Mercer and Walker met in Sri Lanka. They were romantically involved while he was in the middle of his last sanctioned mission. When he went rogue and off the grid, he also left her. According to her file it was the reason she decided to join the CIA. We think Ben will react to her going into the field."

Glancing up from her task of flipping through the file Joan asked, "React how?"

"Come in from the cold hopefully but if nothing else I'm sure he will start looking into why she is here and maybe make a mistake and we can send an ops team his way..."

Before letting him go on, Joan opened her mouth and interjected,

"So you want to use an emotional, inexperienced, green recruit as bait to catch one of the most talented, most dangerous, and most rebellious rogue agents we have ever had? And you want to put her in my division?" She arose from her seat, hands on the desk, leaning forward and meeting her husbands eyes.

"Yes. Joan. if I insert her anywhere else I will have to read in someone I don't trust and with the leaks we have had lately I don't want to take that risk. Now in spite of how much mis-trust and conflict there is between us personally right now" Joan started to argue with him before her cut her off "I trust you, and I know you can make this happen."

Joan rolled her eyes and stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips. "Fine Arthur, when she finishes training I..." Again with that interrupting thing Arthur said, "Actually we are going to pull her out of training early and have her run the mission with Stas tomorrow."

Joan crossed her arms and glared at him, coming around the desk she stood toe-to-toe with her husband and boss.

"Is she even ready?"

"Yes" Arthur responded "and this needs to happen now Joan. We cannot wait on Mercer to start world war three before we do something about him."

Joan relented "Fine, Arthur, do whatever you want." Joan sighed and perched herself on the edge of her desk, "I'm assuming we wont be reading her in on the real reason she is coming in early?"

"No, at least not now"

Joan nodded in reluctant agreement.

Arthur moved towards his wife, standing directly in front of her. Joan met his eyes as he asked, "Dinner tonight?"

"You mean you want to spend the evening with your wife?" Her voice was full of cynicism, "What a turn of events"

Joan's words stung like a bullet in Arthur's heart. He was deflated and out of ideas to make her believe he wasn't cheating. And he wasn't, he wouldn't, his wife was a scary person, and he loved that woman. Completely.

He sighed realizing she may never fully trust him and quietly responded "Yes, Joan I want to spend the evening with the only woman in the world that I love." He grasped her tense arms and looked into her eyes. They were cold. Joan just stared back. Arthur released her and turned to leave. When he reached for the doorknob, Joan quickly inserted, "Not tonight, I will be in late going over tomorrows op."

Arthur released the door and turned to face his wife, "Will I see you tomorrow afternoon?" Arthur asked.

Joan silently nodded and Arthur left her alone.

There was no illicit luncheon planned for tomorrow afternoon but counseling. Marital counseling. Joan watched her husband stroll out of the DPD. Sighing Joan reminisced on happier times in their marriage and pondered how they got here.


End file.
